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Reading is a skill just as important as ever

As the years pile up and experience grows, many folks find opportunities to share tips and guidance for those who are coming up behind them. It’s the way of the world, of course, that adults take on roles as parents, teachers, coaches and more to young people who can jumpstart their own adventures in careers, hobbies and special interests. We take it for granted, but some kids lack mentors. All of us have something to pass along. I’m fortunate to have had opportunities to coach young people interested in fishing, even competing in events that pit their skills against the fish ...

Speed worming a proven bass fishing tactic

Swimming a plastic worm is one of the most simple fishing techniques, but also one of the most effective. Popularly known among bass anglers as speed worm fishing, swimming plastic wigglers produce great catches for anglers regardless of experience or how they approach their favorite waters. It is as simple as fishing can get. The angler simply lobs out a Texas-rigged plastic worm and reels it back with a steady retrieve that makes the lure appear to be swimming. The basic cast-and-reel approach works great in most situations, but the angler can experiment with weights and ...

Whetzel: Bidding farewell to the Valley and to sportswriting

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. In this case, it’s about both my time at the Tribune Chronicle and The Vindicator and my time in journalism as a whole, as Thursday marked my finale at the paper. I arrived in Warren back in 2021 with a reasonable idea of what to expect. After all, my then-girlfriend (and now wife as of last Saturday) grew up across the state line in Mercer County and we had made multiple trips over to various restaurants during our relationship. I knew this was a blue-collar area that took a lot of pride in its identity. I knew it wasn’t ...

Wollitz: Bladed jigs are incredibly useful for anglers

It’s bladed jig season and the largemouth bass are chasing them on the lakes throughout the Youngstown-Warren area. Actually, every month seems to be right for my assortment of bladed jigs, popularly known as Chatterbaits — the brand name that has become synonymous with the lure genre. As Kleenex is to facial tissues, Chatterbait is to bladed jigs. They are jig heads and hooks outfitted with a thin gauge hexagonal metal “blade” that catches water as the angler reels, creating a hard vibrating action. Bladed jigs’ vibration transmits two ways: down to the skirt and ...

Tech advances in fishing here to stay

Back a few years ago, my generation helped pioneer video technology that no doubt is paying huge dividends today on the fishing boats of hundreds of thousands of anglers. We were avid players of Pong, then Pacman and Space Invaders, and on to Super Mario Brothers and Tetris. My generation helped usher in the video game era, enjoying the then-leading edge of technology, even though we went to school when slide rules ruled and Texas Instrument calculators were forbidden in our math classes. Everywhere we turn today, smartphones, laptops and other devices help us think, learn, eat and ...

Helping youngsters was a day worth having

Their smiles were particularly sunny, considering we met under a sky heavy with low-flying clouds. But fishing was in the air when I shook hands with Leo Wilkes and Eddie McNicol at 6:30 a.m. Sunday near the boat ramp at Kennedy Campground on the banks of the Ohio River in Newell, W.Va. I had volunteered to coach for Harry Emmerling’s Student Fishing League, which provides teenagers with opportunities to learn about bass fishing. Eddie and Leo, freshmen at Beaver Local High School, wore ear-to-ear grins as they boarded the Bass Cat and prepped to go fishing on the Ohio River. ...